Ignition switch lock



July 3, 1951 E. N. JACOB! 2,558,852

IGNITION SWITCH LOCK Filed July 16, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Z'Il \hhhh \U L Edward/\[Jacabz July 3, 1951 E. N. JACOB] IGNITION SWITCH LOCK Filed July 16, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 3, 1951 E. N. JACOB] 2,558,852

IGNITION SWITCH LOCK Filed July 16, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 3 F, lh

t: 50 my m Edward/V. Jazab-z Patented July 3, 1951 IGNITION SWITCH LOCK Edward N. Jacobi, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Briggs &

Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application July 16, 1948, Serial No. 39,008

6 Claims.

This invention relates to locking ignition switches for automobiles and the like, and refers particularly to improvements in the manner of mounting such switches upon the instrument panels of automobiles.

In installations of this type, the switch is usually mounted on the back of the instrument panel and has its lock mechanism housed within a forward extension of the switch case the front end of which projects through. a hole in the panel to render the lock mechanism accessible for actuation at the front of the panel. One of the main objects of this invention resides in the provision of improved means for mounting ignition switches upon the backs of instrument panels and by which the need for rivets and special brackets for retaining the switch upon the panel is entirely obviated.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide for mounting an ignition switch of the character described to the panel of an automobile or the like by a novel bayonet J'oint connection maintained operative by a compression spring reacting between the back of the panel and the switch case.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a locking ignition switch of the character described having provision for illuminating the key slot of the lock cylinder so that the slot is readily visible in the dark at the front of the instrument panel.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel connection between the portion of the switch case which projects through the hole in the panel and a bezel for enclosing said projecting portion of the switch case, which connection enables the bezel to be easily snapped into place after the ignition switch has been connected to the panel.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation and showing the locking igni- 2 tion switch of this invention in place upon an instrument panel;

Figure 2 is a view looking down upon the switch shown in Figure 1 but with the switch separated from the panel and with the bezel and light bracket removed;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the elements involved in the connectiQn between the ignition switch and the instrument panel but with the elements in their proper order of assembly;

Figure l is a front elevational view of the instrument panel showing the manner in which the front end of the switch case is inserted in the hole in the instrument panel for connection of the switch thereto;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken through Figure 4 on the plane of the line 55;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view similar to Figure 4 but showing the manner in which rotation of the switch from its Figure 4 position establishes the bayonet joint connection between the switch and the panel;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken through Figure 6 on the plane of the line 1-1;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the manner in which the light bracket is connected to the switch case to form a subassembly prior to connection of the switch to the instrument panel;

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken through Figure 8 along the plane of the line 9-9; and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the front of the lock cylinder showing the finishing cap removed from the cylinder but alongside the same.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 4 designates generally the locking ignition switch of this invention. The switch case 5 includes a cup-like housing 6 at the rear of the switch to enclose the switch instrumentalities (not shown), and a forwardly extending tubular neck 1 in which the lock mechanism 8 is received.

Heretofore, it has been more or less general practice to fasten ignition switches of this nature to the backs of instrument panels of automobiles or the like by means of special brackets welded or otherwise secured to the backs of the panels. While these past expedients were usually quite costly, they have also frequently detracted from the appearance of the fronts of the instrument panels by reason of the necessity of spot welding special brackets thereto.

According to the present invention the 'ignition switch case is connected to the instrument panel 9 by means of a bayonet joint involving the formation of a special hole In in the panel and proper means on the front of the switch case to establish the bayonet connection. To this end the forward extremity of the tubular neck I is provided with a plurality of lugs extending substantially radially outwardly from the sides of the neck at equispaced points about the circumference thereof.

Two of these lugs II are substantially the same size and are located horizontally opposite one another. The remaining lugs I2 and I3 are vertically opposite one another and have different widths, though both are wider than the lugs I I. The lug I2 is disposed at the underside of the neck I and has slightly less width than the lug I3 at the top of the tubular neck.

In order to establish the bayonet connection between the switch and the panel, the forward extremity of the tubular neck is adapted to be projected through the aperture II) in the instrument panel to dispose the lugs II, l2 and I3 at the front of the panel. For this reason, the instrument panel is provided with three notches I5 opening to the hole I0, and of a size and spacing to accommodate the lugs II and I 2, while a fourth notch II opening to the hole I0 and of greater width than the notches I 6 accommodates the lug I3. Hence, when the ignition switch is held with the lug I3 thereon in alignment with the notch I1 and the remaining lugs in line with the notches I5, the front'end of the tubular neck on the switch case may be inserted through the panel hole from the back of the panel to dispose the lugs at the front side of the panel. After insertion of the neck in the panel hole in this manner, the bayonet connection is completed by rotation of the neck approximately 45 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 4 and 6, to carry the lugs away from their notches to positions overlying the front face of the panel, as seen in Figures 6 and '7, to preclude rearward separation of the ignition switch from the panel.

Attention is directed to the fact that the back surfaces of all of the lugs lie in a common plane normal to the aXis of the tubular neck I so that the engagement of the backs of the lugs with the panel disposes the tubular neck perpendicular to the upright panel 9. Also, it will be appreciated that the neck can be inserted into the panel hole in only one position, that at which the largest lug I3 aligns with its notch I1.

The bayonet joint thus established is maintained operative by means of a coil spring I9 encircling the neck I and confined between the back of the instrument panel and abutments 20 projecting laterally from the top and bottom sides of the neck I a distance rearwardly of its front extremity. Notches or sockets 21 are formed in the abutments 20 and the rear con-' volution of the sprin is snapped into these sockets to hold the spring assembled with the switch case during assembly of the parts.

Prior to attachment of the switch to the panel, the coil spring extends forwardly to have its front convolution project a slight distance beyond the front extremity of the tubular neck. Consequently the establishment of the bayonet joint connection between the switch case and the instrument panel produces compression of the spring so that the panel receives the thrust of the spring and causes it to force the ignition switch rearwardly, thus firmly pressing the lugs II, 2 and I3 against the front of the panel.

Hence, it will be seen that the coil sprin I9 resists any tendency for the ignition switch to move forwardly when connected to the panel, while the lugs II, I2 and I3 preclude rearward separation of the switch from the panel except upon rotation of the switch case in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 4 and 5, through an arc of approximately 45 to align the lugs on the neck with their proper notches I6 and II in the panel.

Such rotation of the tubular neck in a direction to permit detachment of the ignition switch from the instrumentpanel is restrained by the engagement of a tongue 24, projecting upwardly from the back of the lug I3, in a notch 25 opening to the hole It in the panel between the uppermost pair of notches I6 and I! in the panel. The tongue 24 has a longitudinal dimension or thickness substantially corresponding to the thickness of the instrument panel, and this tongue lies on the back of the lug I3 so as to require the front of the neck I to be projected through the panel hole a distance such that the rear face of the tongue clears the front face of the panel at the time of connection of the switch to the panel in order to permit rotation of the tubular neck from the Figure 4 position to the Figure 6 position at which the bayonet joint connection is established. Consequently, when the tongue 24 is aligned with its notch 25 in the panel, the coil spring I9 forces the switch rearwardly to align the tongue in the plane of the panel and to bring the backs of the lugs against the front face of the panel, thus effectively precluding separation of the ignition switch from the panel.

As will be clear from the description thus far, the ignition switch may be readily disassembled by propelling the tubular neck I forwardly through the panel hole the distance necessary to disengage the tongue 24 from its notch 25 in the panel to free the ignition switch for rotation to its Figure 4 position.

One of the features of the ignition switch of this invention i that it provides for illumina tion of the key slot 2? opening to the front of the lock cylinder 28 forming part of the lock mechanism 8. The forward end of the lock cylinder projects from the lock mechanism into the front end of the tubular neck 'I toward the plane of the back of the instrument panel as seen best in Figure 1. This projecting end of the lock cylinder preferably has a finishing cap 29 telescoped thereover and secured in place by clinching (not shown). In addition the key slot 21 opens to the bottom of the lock cylinder in a more or less conventional manner, and likewise opens to the top of the cylinder through a slot 3|]. Notches 3| in the opposite sides of the cap 29 align with the open bottom-of the key slot as well as with the slot 39 in the top of the lock cylinder to permit light from a source thereof to enter the key slot.

In order to provide for illumination of the entrance to the key slot to render the same readily visible in the dark from the front of the panel, the lock switch of this invention is provided with a light bulb 33. This bulb is carried by the substantially upstanding leg 34 of a bracket 35 having a relatively flat body portion 36 which is apertured as at 37 so as to be received on the tubular neck I. The aperture in the body por-' tion 36 of the bracket corresponds generally to the aperture in the instrument panel in that it l o has a serie Q patches 38. op o the azs-saelsa aperture to allow passage of the bracket over the lugs i I, I2 and is on the front of the tubular neck I of the switch case. The uppermost notch 38, however, is continued upwardly and rearwardly and joins with a slit 38 formed in the horizontal arm 39 of the bracket connecting the body portion 35 with the substantially upstanding log 3 thereof. Since the bracket is preferably constructed of a lightweight relatively resilient sheet metal, it will be apparent that the slit 38 substantially divides the bracket into side-byside yieldable sections.

The body portion 36 of the bracket is also provided with upper and lower sets of tangs 4| and 42 respectively extending into the notches 38 from the sides thereof, the free ends of these tangs are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the width of their respective lugs so as to require the side-by-side sections of the bracket to be spread apart laterally during application of the bracket to the front of the neck of the switch case. When the bracket reaches a point sufficiently far enough along the length of the neck as to enable the tangs ii and 42 to clear the rear portions of the lugs l2 and E3, the sections of the bracket spring toward one another to engage the tangs behind the lugs i2 and lit with a force sufficient to maintain the bracket in place upon the tubular neck against the force of the coil spring 49 acting on the bracket.

After the bracket has been snapped in place and has its tangs engaged behind the lugs l2 and i3, it will be noted that the switch case, the bracket, and the spring comprise a sub-assembly which may be readily attached to the instrument panel by means of the bayonet joint hereinbefore described and with only slight compression of the spring during the establishment of the bayonet joint.

As stated previously, the light bulb 33 is provided to illuminate the entrance to the ke slot in the projecting front end of the lock cylinder 23. In order to achieve this purpose the front end of the tubular neck I surrounding the projecting end of the lock cylinder has a number of longitudinal slots .5 formed therein and opening to the front end of the neck. These slots are substantially equi-spaced and lie between the lugs 1, 2 and E3 on the tubular neck so as to substantially define prongs upon which the lugs we carried. The slots 45 extend rearwardly behind the instrument panel at least far enough to align radially with the projecting front end of the lock cylinder, so that light from the bulb 33 may enter any of the slots to be reflected back and forth from the inside surfaces of the tubular neck and into the key slot 2? through the open bottom thereof and through the slot 35! opening to the upper side of the cylinder.

Inasmuch as the light bulb is mounted directly above the tubular neck 1 and immediately behind the instrument panel 9, the prong upon which the largest lug I3 is carried is preferably provided with an aperture 36 behind the lug I3 to enable light to pass directly from the bulb to the slotted front end of the lock cylinder through the slot 38' in the horizontal leg 39 of the light bracket and through the aperture 46 in the neck of the switch case.

The body portion of the light bracket 35 also is preferably connected with the tubular neck I by a non-rotatable connection which in the present case is readily effected by means of inward projections 48 between the notches 38 extending into the longitudinal slots 45 in the front of the 6 tubular neck to provide a splined connection between the bracket and the neck.

Attention is directed to the fact that the front and side edges of the bayonet lugs ll, [2 and 13 are bevelled so as to facilitate insertion of the front end of the tubular neck into the panel hole from the rear of the panel.

It is also important to note that the lugs H, I2 and I3 have upwardly and rearwardly inclined cam surfaces 52 on their front faces, and downwardly and rearwardly inclined surfaces 5! leading to their back faces. These inclined surfaces 50 and 5! provide for connection of a bezel 52 to the projecting portions of the tubular neck lying at the front face of the panel.

As seen best in Figure 1 the bezel 52 is formed as a relatively lightweight sheet metal stamping in the shape of a ring. The inner surface of the ring has a funnel-shaped rearwardly extending neck 53, the inner extremity of which engages upstanding abutments 54 on the finishing cap 29 to hold the same against detachment from the lock cylinder.

The periphery of the bezel has an inwardly opening circumferential channel 55 formed therein adjacent to the rear of the bezel into which a spring ring 55 is snapped. Upon application of the bezel to the projecting front end portion of the tubular neck l, the spring ring is expanded by its engagement with the cam surfaces 50 on the fronts of the lugs ll, l2, and I3, and after passing over the tops of the lugs the ring rides inwardly and downwardly along the inclined surfaces 5! to snap into place behind the lugs and thus clamp the bezel against the instrument panel in a secure manner.

Light shining into the key slot in the lock cylinder also impinges the funnel-shaped inner surface of the bezel, and since the bezel has a highly polished or plated finish, it will be seen that it aids in locating a key opening in the dark.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides a simple but highly effective manner of connecting a locking ignition switch to the instrument panel of an automobile while at the same time providing for illumination of the key entrance in the lock cylinder.

I claim:

1. In an instrument of the type adapted to be mounted on the back of a panel in alignment with a hole therein: a case for said instrument having a tubular neck extending forwardly therefrom for insertion through the hole in the panel and open at its front end; lug means on the exterior of said neck at the front end thereof having rearwardly facing shoulders lying in a common plane normal to the axis of the neck and engageable with the front face of the panel to preclude rearward displacement of the instrument therefrom, one of said lug means projecting rearwardly of said plane to be engageable in a notch in the panel to preclude rotation of the instrument on the panel; and circumferentially spaced abutments on the exterior of the neck a distance rearwardly from said shoulders and facing them, said abutments providing a spring seat to enable a coiled compression spring to be confined between them and the back of the panel when the spring is in position encircling the front end portion of the neck.

2. The instrument of claim 1, further characterized by the fact that said lug means extend radially outwardly from the neck a lesser distance than said abutments, so that a coiled spring may be slipped axially rearwardly over the lugs to seat against said abutments and encircle the front portion of the neck.

3. In an instrument of the type adapted to be mounted on the back of a panel in alignment with a hole therein: a case for said instrument having a forwardly extending tubular neck for insertion through the hole in the panel, said neck being open at its front end and having a plurality of longitudinal slots opening to the front thereof to define a plurality of prongs; a radial lug on the exterior of each of said prongs, near the front end thereof, said lugs having rearwardly facing shoulders lying in a common plane normal to the axis of the tubular neck and engageable with the front face of the panel to preclude rearward displacement of the instrument with respect to the panel; a tongue extending rearwardly from the shoulder on one of said lugs and engageable in a notch in the panel to preclude rotational displacement of the instrument; and circumferentially spaced abutments on the exterior of the neck spaced rearwardly from the shoulders and facing them, said abutments providing a spring seat to enable a coiled compression spring to be case of the switch and in a position tolilluminate the key slot of the lock mechanism, said means comprising: a tubular forwardly extending neck on the case disposed substantially coaxially with the lock mechanism, said neck being adapted to be projected through a hole in the panel to have its front end lie at the front face of the panel and having a plurality of longitudinal slots through which light from the bulb is adapted to shine onto the key slot and which define a plurality of prongs; lugs on the forward extremities of said prongs projecting substantially radially outwardly therefrom for establishing a bayonet joint connection between the switch and the panel, said lugs having rearwardly facing shoulders lying in a common plane and engageable with the front face of the panel to preclude rearward separation of the switch from the panel;

'said light bulb mounting bracket having a relatively flat body portion provided with a central aperture to enable the same to be slipped over the neck to a position behind the lugs thereon, tangs on said body portion engaged behind said lugs to preclude forward displacement of the bracket from the neck prior to mounting the switch on a panel, said tangs requiring flexure of the body portion during application of the bracket over the neck to enable the tangs to pass said lugs, and parts on said body portion engaged in said slots between the prongs of the neck to preclude rotation of the bracket on said prongs; and a compression spring confined between abutments on the switch case and the body portion of the bracket for forcing said body portion toward said lugs and for effecting clamping of the panel between the body portion of the bracket and said lugs to securely hold the switch assembled on the panel.

5. In an instrument of the type adapted to be mounted on the back of a panel in line with a hole therein: a case for said instrument having a tubular neck extending forwardly therefrom for insertion through the hole in the panel and open at its front end; means of the exterior of said neck at the front thereof defining rearwardly facing shoulders lying in a common plane normal to the axis of the neck and engageable with the front face of the panel to preclude rearward displacement of the instrument therefrom; and means defining rearwardly and inwardly inclined cam surfaces continuous with said shoulders and extending toward the outer edges of said shoulders and around which a spring ring is adapted to be snapped to mount a bezel at the front of the instrument and to cam the bezel rearwardly into engagement with the front face of the panel.

6. Means for mounting on the back of a panel an instrument having a case, with a portion of the case projecting forwardly through an aperture in the panel to be accessible at the front of the panel, and for mounting a bezel on the front of the case, said means comprising: a forwardly projecting tubular extension on the case, the forward extremity of which is adapted to project through a hole in the panel to extend beyond the front face of the panel; a plurality of lugs on the exterior of the front extremity of said extension having rearwardly facing shoulders lying in a common plane and engageable with the front face of the panel to preclude rearward separation of the instrument from the panel; Spring means reacting between the instrument case and the rear of the panel to preclude forward separation of the instrument from the panel; means on said lugs defining cam faces extending forwardly and outwardly from the radially outer edges of said shoulders; a bezel; and a spring ring snapped into place over said cam faces, said spring ring being encompassed by a portion of the bezel, at the rear thereof, to cam the bezel rearwardly into firm engagement with the front of the panel.

EDWARD N. JACOBI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,997,457 Edwards Apr. 9, 1935 2,005,792 Leins June 25, 1935 2,049,658 Moore Aug. 4, 1936 2,272,688 Catron Feb. 10, 1942 2,350,651 Taubert et a1. June 6, 1944 

